


Safe, Sound and Proud

by WoorEnergy



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Bickering, Crying, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Light Angst, Multi, Polyamorous relationship, Swearing, but just a bit, patton cries, protecc him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-13 23:04:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17497070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WoorEnergy/pseuds/WoorEnergy
Summary: Patton was a lot of things ; kind, patient, attentive, caring, loving... but when Roman and Logan don't pay attention to what he might say and keep fighting, he reaches his boundaries in front of everyone. Virgil snaps, and the two other sides start to question their behaviors.(this fanfiction takes place before Learning New Things About Ourselves)





	Safe, Sound and Proud

Yellings and insults fused into the mindscape today, which wasn't very unusual, especially between Roman and Logan. Those two spent more time bickering than trying to actually solve the issue they created in the first place. Sure, arguing was part of their existences now, and it could be useful to solve their dilemmas... but not this way.  
Virgil couldn't even remember how it started. Maybe Roman proposed an idea that Logan found stupid, or Logan reminded for the fifteenth time of the day all the things the sides- insisting on Roman- had to do to keep Thomas alive, pushing the prince to his limits, even though that wasn't very hard.

But whoever started this, it didn't matter ; it pissed Virgil off anyway. A lot. And he wasn't alone.  
As he curled into a ball onto the couch, trying to, he wished, disappear under his hoodie, he saw Patton at the corner of his eye trying to get heard by his two other boyfriends, but his voice was easily covered by their incessant shouting.

"You're impossible ! Why is nothing simple with you !?" Roman hissed dramatically, throwing his hands in the air in frustration.

"Well, maybe if you actually listened to me, we wouldn't have had this problem in the first place. But no, your pride has to come first !"

"You're the one talking about pride ? Ah ! I think you're even worse than me !"

"Guys please, can we just-" Patton started, but his sentence never found an end.

"At least I'm trying to provide solutions for Thomas' well-being and productivity, but you-" Logan pointed a finger to Roman's chest, "-just make him feel insecure about his work and own capacities."

"Ah, there we are ! It's  _always_  my fault, but you never question yourself !"

"I never question myself because I know what I'm doing !"

As Roman and Logan continued to throw blames at each other, Patton tried to speak over them one more time, but his voice grew quieter and quieter, something that Virgil didn't expect. On any other day, the others would listen to the paternal side ; they respected him way too much and knew he could come up with good ideas to deal with this kind of issues most of the time. But the two were so engrossed in their argument that they didn't bother to listen to him or anyone else today.  
Eventually, Patton walked over Virgil and sat on the couch beside him, imitating his posture ; he brought his knees to his chest and hugged them tightly, burying his face into his arms as well.

Virgil, slightly worried, breathed in and approached his boyfriend. "Patton ? You okay ?"

No answer. Virgil hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, and the little man didn't even react. "Pat ? Patton ?"

After a few seconds, Virgil felt Patton moving in a surprising manner. It looked like... shaking ? Yes, he was pretty sure he was shaking. Gently, Virgil wrapped his arm around Patton's shoulders as his free hand rubbed his upper arm. "Patton, please talk to me. You're scaring me a little."

Patton still didn't answer for a few seconds, then slowly looked up at Virgil with watery eyes, tears rolling down his red cheeks. Virgil froze for a moment, thinking " _what the hell am I supposed to do in this situation_ ", but found the strength to keep his cool somehow. He moved his hand to Patton's face to stroke it softly.

"Come here Pat, come here." Virgil put his other arm around his boyfriend, pulling him into a warm hug. He felt two hands grabbing the back of his hoodie, and soon, his right shoulder were soaked in tears Patton couldn't hold anymore. He just held the (usually) optimistic trait close to him, whispering him words of comfort in his ear.

"I can't do this," Patton sighed, trying to choke back a sob, "I can't, I can't, they won't listen- I can't-"

"Shht, I know Pat, I know."

"What's going on ?" Roman asked, standing behind Virgil.

The two men pulled away to look at Roman and Logan, standing in the middle of the livingroom. They finally stopped yelling at each other- at least for a while- and were now staring at Patton, confusion and worry obvious in their eyes.

"I hope you two are satisfied." Virgil coldly said, jaw clenched.

"Is that- you're crying because of us, Patton ?" It was more of a statement than a question, but Virgil could hear the geniune surprise in Logan's voice.

"No ! Well... I- I mean, kind of...?" He sighed and pulled Virgil in a hug once again. "I'm sorry, I'm just feeling... overwhelmed today, and your arguing didn't really help me to relax, I suppose ?"

Patton squeezed his eyes shut as soon as the words left his mouth, wishing he never said that and just lied instead, like he was just tired or something ; he did need some rest, after all. He bit his bottom lip, a bit harsher than he intended to.

"You are  _not_  approaching him now." Virgil hissed when he saw Roman taking a step ahead.

"And why ? We're also his boyfriends-"

"Then fucking act like it !" Virgil snapped, cutting Logan into the middle of his sentence. "You two barely listened to him nor cared about how he was feeling, and now you suddenly act like you're worried ? Do you really think a decent person would make their boyfriend cry !?"

Logan opened his mouth to say something, but his words died in his throat. He knew the answer to Virgil's rethorical question, and yet it was hard for him to admit he was in fault.

"You better get your shit together before coming back and apologizing to Patton. That's the first and last time you make him or any of us cry, understood ?"

They just nodded, not wanting to mess with Virgil right now- they knew better than trying to argue when he was mad ; Virgil whispered something to Patton's ear, asking him if he wanted to go to his room to have a bit of peace. Patton agreed as he smiled to the anxious trait, gratefulness in his gaze.

As the two sank down to leave, Virgil saw Roman and Logan exchanging a look he couldn't really understand. For a second, he wondered if leaving them alone was a good idea ; they were at each other's throat ten minutes ago, after all.

" _Whatever,_ " Virgil bitterly thought, as he arrived to Patton's room, " _it's_  their _problem to deal with, even if it takes them the whole evening._ "

Virgil wasn't used to stay in Patton's room for too long ; he would spend some time here, but all the memories- the pictures, the poems, everything was too much sometimes, so he would leave as soon as he came, especially after the Moving On video they made. Besides, it was a bit... bright for his own tastes, since he got used to his patches of black and purple all over his own room and the gloomy, yet familiar atmosphere.

Patton automatically sat on the couch, grabbing a thick blanket he left on it a while ago and wrapping it around himself. Virgil kneeled in front of him as he gently put his hands over his knees, still leaving him enough space if he needed some.

"How are you feeling ?"

"Still..." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Still sad. And- and a bit guilty now."

"Guilty ? What do you mean ?"

"I don't know, I- I just feel horrible for breaking down in front of everyone. I mean, there was no actual reason for me to cry, and- you know, I made them think they were bad. I hate this ! They're such w-wonderful boyfriends, I love them so much, I- I don't- I don't want-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Patton bursted into tears again, hiding his face into the soft material of the blanket. Virgil quickly hugged him again, holding him as close as he possibly could.

"Go on babe, let it out. You can cry all you want, I've got you."

Patton tried to say something, but his words were drowned into his sobs and were barely intelligible for both of them. So, instead, he followed Virgil's advice and cried, over and over. Virgil almost wonder if he was going to fall asleep on his shoulder, still wrapped in his blanket like a messy burrito. The thought made the corners of his lips twitch for a second.

Eventually, Patton calmed down- or his eyes were too sore for him to keep going, Virgil didn't know. He slowly pulled away and cupped his face in his hands as the tips of his thumbs wiped the last tears on his cheeks.

"Pat, you're not horrible for having feelings. Crying is just a way to express them when they're too much, but you'll never, ever be a bad person. You don't have to feel guilty over what happened, because it's not your fault."

"Y-Yeah, but- what about Roman and Logan ? I probably hurt them."

"Hush, none of that. They might be upset for a while, but at least they realized they were part of the problem. They realized they were the reason you started crying. They'll come here once they'll be done, alright ? We'll figure this out together."

Patton didn't seem really convinced but nodded anyway ; Virgil stood up and, pecking Patton's forehead, smiled at him. "I have an idea. How about I cook us a quick meal, then we watch something together ?"

"Virgil, I don't want to be rude, but cooking isn't one of your... specialty." Patton smirked, his voice still weak and a bit low.

"You're right, and I bet I'll be  _cooked_  if the kitchen catches on fire."

Virgil wasn't one to make a lot of puns, but the giggle Patton let out made the effort worth it. He would have made anything to see the ghost of this precious smile anyway.

"Seriously though, I know I'm not much of a cooker, but I'll try my best. Let me take care of you today, okay ?"

"If you insist. Oh, one more thing !"

"Yeah ?"

Patton threw the blanket to the side and extended his arms, inviting Virgil to share another hug. The anxious side gladly participated, sitting on the cushion and letting the other pulling him against his chest. His own hands rubbed his back in small circles as he left pecks to his jaw or temple from time to time. Patton just buried his face into the crook of his neck and sighed in relief.

"Thank you so much, Virgil."

"Don't worry. I told you I've got you, and I meant it. I'll be here as long as you'll need me." Virgil kissed the top of his head one more time and slowly stood up, walking towards the kitchen to cook whatever he wanted to make for his lover.

In the meantime, Patton turned on the television to choose a TV show- probably The Office, Virgil supposed, while he waited for the water on the gas stove to boil.

A while later- including Virgil's shout when he almost burnt his hand-, two plates of pasta were put on the coffee table, covered in tomato sauce. Two cups of hot chocolate were ready to be drunk as well, cooling down as the two men ate their meals.

"I must admit, you did pretty good," Patton chuckled, eating his last mouthful of pasta, "I'm proud of you."

"Eh, it's just pasta after all. I'm sorry I couldn't make something fancier for you, though."

"Oh, what ? Virgil, you did so well tonight !"

"I guess so."

But Virgil knew his boyfriend wouldn't take a "I guess" as a response ; Patton put his fork down and grabbed both of his hands in his own. "I'm serious, sweetie. You comforted me, let me cry on your shoulder for God knows how long, and... it really helped me to make me feel better. And most importantly, you stayed calm and patient all along. Words can't describe how proud and impressed I am."

Virgil shrugged, but he felt his chest fill with gratefulness and relief, and a weight fall from his shoulders. He didn't know it was possible for him to love Patton more than he currently did, but here he was, looking at him with heart eyes, restraining himself to jump at him and shower him with kisses- even though the moral trait wouldn't even mind.

"Thanks." He finally whispered, leaving a peck on Patton's knuckle.

"Don't worry. Let's keep watching the show, yeah ?"

Virgil nodded, releasing the breath he was holding, and shyly kissed the corner of Patton's lips. Then they didn't say anything else as they cuddled, only laughs and jokes could be heard in the room- as well for the sound of the television.

The evening remained calm and relaxing during the first half of the season of the TV show, until Patton and Virgil saw two persons rising in the room ; Roman and Logan, surprisingly quiet. The two kept their lips sealed, and the shameful expressions on their faces could've made Virgil snort if they didn't look actually sorry.

"Well ?" Virgil said, his tone a bit more peaceful than he expected from himself. He still was bitter, but not enough to snap like he did earlier. A part of his mind made him feel guilty about the words he used, too.

"Well, we didn't solve all of our current issues," Logan admitted, "but we came to some sort of... agreement, for now."

"That's good to hear." Virgil saw that neither of them moved and sighed. "Isn't there anything you two forgot ?"

"Virgil, it's okay." Patton cut, his voice calm but firm. "I'm not angry at them."

"No, Pat. Virgil is right, we hurt you. It is only fair to apologize to you."

Patton frowned but let Roman approach him and kneel in front of him, taking his hand in his. Logan sat at his other side, at the opposite of Virgil, and rubbed his back.

"My love, trust me when I tell you we're sorry. We- We didn't realize what we were doing to you, but we understand now how badly we behaved." Roman said, staring straight at Patton, looking as serious as he could.

"Indeed. We just... We just wanted to be mad at each other instead of actually solving the task at hand, and we didn't take your thoughts in consideration in the process. I would understand if you didn't forgive us just yet, but Roman is right ; we're sincerely sorry."

Patton looked at Roman, then Logan, and finally smiled. With the hand holding the prince's, he brought it to his cheek and gently stroke it as he put the other onto the logical side's knee.

"I already forgave you, my darlings, and I could never be mad at you. I... I was just frustrated that you kept bickering instead of listening to what I, or what Virgil had to say about your issue, and it was too much for me. You know that we're here, that _I'm_ here for all of you, right ?

"We know !" Roman quickly answered. "We know you can help us out if we just ask you !"

"But as we said, we let our... pride take control instead of our reason. It was stupid, and unfair for you. Both of you."

Virgil arched an eyebrow as soon as Logan's words reached his ears. "It's not about me right now. Besides, it's not like I deserved an apology."

"What are you talking about ?"

Virgil rolled his eyes, then glared at Roman. "Please, Ro, you know exactly what I mean. I've said horrible things to you, and I made you feel like you were bad boyfriends. Now you're feeling down because of me, just admit it."

"Falsehood, dearest." Logan leaned a bit so he could see the anxious one's face better. "You're quite right, your words were hard to take at first, but you only stated the truth in your own way. Everything was our fault, and without you around, maybe we would have not been able to notice Patton's distress at all."

"And we didn't find where the problem was yet," Roman added, putting his head on Patton's knees as he unconsciously rubbed his face against the palm of his hand, "but you helped us to find a compromise, at least. If we don't, even temporarily, we suffer, our relationship suffers, and Thomas suffers. I could never accept this."

Patton hummed in agreement and left a quick kiss on Virgil's cheek. "Give yourself some credit, love. You're incredibly smart and caring, especially when it comes to our well-being. I already told you, but I'll say it again : I'm proud of you."

Virgil shook his head, even though he couldn't help the goofy smile slowly growing on his pinkish face. He stayed on his spot, motionless for a few seconds, until he turned to Roman and leaned over. Here, he left a quick kiss to his lips, long enough so the creative side could enjoy it, but short enough so he didn't have time to react and deepen it. Then, he straightened up to snuggle against Patton's side.

"T-Thanks." He finally stuttered, his voice shaking a bit. "Can we just, like, cuddle and all like normal boyfriends would do now ? I'm done being all sensitive and shit."

Roman chuckled nervously and seemed to hesitate, meeting Logan's gaze for assistance. Patton's hand, still on his cheek, slipped under his chin to make eye-contact himself.

"I know what's going on in your little head right now. Don't you dare think that you're not allowed to stay here, on the contrary. You'll always be welcome in this room, anytime." Patton turned to Logan. "The same goes for you."

"Are you sure our presences won't cause you any... emotional trouble ?"

"You're talking to the embodiment of Thomas' emotions here, and frankly, I'm troubled all the time. You won't make a difference." Patton grinned when he heard Logan snorting. "But please, stay."

Logan smirked and shyly wrapped his arm around his waist, bringing him a bit closer. Patton giggled and let the logical side hiding his nose in his curly hair.

"I've made pasta earlier, you two want some ?" Virgil suddenly asked as he grabbed the plates he and Patton left earlier on the coffee table.

"Please, I'm starving !" Roman begged.

"I'll be fine, thank you Virgil. I'll do the dishes though."

The anxious side nodded and brought the plates and cups in the kitchen that he left into the sink, followed by Logan. From where he was, he could see Roman slipping under the warm blanket and snuggling against Patton, whispering something Virgil couldn't catch. All he had was Patton's reaction- that is to say a giggle and his cheeks turning to a bright red, and soon, Roman was showering his face with kisses.

"Virgil, are you sure we're not bothering you ?" Logan bit his lip, turning on the tap to start washing the dishes.

"Easy there Teach, worrying is usually my job." Virgil smirked as he took the plate out of the microwave and put it on the counter. "I swear I'm not mad at you or Roman anymore, I truly forgave you, so did Patton. If it bugs you that much, we can talk about this again tomorrow. But now, I believe we all need to think about something else and relax. Deal ?"

"Deal... Thank you."

Virgil sighed in relief. "Need a kiss ?"

Logan licked his lips, staring at his smaller boyfriend, then pulled his soaked hands out of the sink where he was washing the cups and quickly dried them with a towel. Virgil took this gesture as a yes and approached him ; his own hand gently grabbed his shirt, pulling him into a loving kiss as he ran the other through his hair. Logan's owns clasped against his back to bring him as close as he could.  
Virgil was always astonished to notice how touch starved Logan was most of the time, even more than Patton some days. He couldn't explain why, but he wasn't complaining. He could be very cuddly himself when he was in the mood, and he didn't mind one of his lovers being a bit clingy, especially not the one claiming to have no feelings whatsoever.

Finally breaking the kiss, Logan left one last peck on Virgil's forehead and pulled back, chuckling when his boyfriend whined.

"Go back with the others, I'll join you soon."

"Alright... Love you."

Logan only smiled in response, leaving his hand on Virgil's hip a bit longer than he needed to before turning back to the dishes in the sink.

Soon, the pastas were eaten, the cups and plates were clean, put back into the cupboard, and four lovers were asleep in the couch, snuggling close against each other as their soft snorings became the only noises along the sound of the television.

* * *

Thomas had layed on his bed for an hour now, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What the hell is going on in my brain right now." He whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> come punch me at woorenergy on Tumblr


End file.
